Power of the Halliwells
by Bridgette S
Summary: Chris may have come back to stop an evil, but what if he didn't truly stop that evil? What if somebody else had to come back to save the Halliwell family? Somebody who could lose more than Chris ever did....
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed or its characters. All rights go to Marie M. Constance and the WB. I'm just doing this because I'm a devoted fan.  
  
Author's Note: The story starts the day of the "Little Monster" episodes.  
  
She sat with her back facing the doorway, her eyes fixated on the window panes. She never remembered them being that bright in her childhood. They had always been grimy and covered with dust, no matter how much her grandmother cleaned them.  
  
It was funny the things people remembered when they were in her state of mind. They remembered the little things-the smell of a flower, the way a wind chime blew in the wind, the couch on which someone laid.  
  
For her it was those god dame windows.  
  
As she sat there looking at them a sound began to filter up through her subconsciouness. At first it was faint, like a far off echo. But it grew in sound, and soon she recognized it as the laughter of a young woman. It was a hearty laugh, full of warmth and happiness. She hadn't heard that kind of laugh in a long time, not since that day nearly two years ago..  
  
No, I refuse so remember that day, she thought, pushing herself off the couch. She began to walk around the room trying to clear her head of the voices. It wasn't often that this power surfaced, but when it did it could be almost fatal.  
  
All the voices, all the pain..  
  
It was the one gift she regretted inheriting from her family, for it was the one that caused her the most pain. Sure, receiving premonitions was a bitch due to the fact that her ears always rung when she got one, but that was nothing compared to the sound of thousands of voices in her head.  
  
Gritting her teeth she made her way to the center of the room where an old book stand stood. Nothing was on it. What had once been there had been taken long ago to a place where He couldn't sense it, which hadn't been easy. It had nearly taken her half a year to find a place where he couldn't get to it, and even now she was sure he would find it one day..  
  
Just then a powerful surge of voices and pictures hit her. She heard a woman call out for her sons in a desperate plea of help and then there was crying. Sobs that racked the body, full of pain and anger.  
  
Crying out in agony she stumbled and as she did her hand brushed up the stand. Suddenly her body jerked violently and all the voices and images disappeared as she received a premonition.  
  
~Premonition~ A man stood over her, an energy ball growing in his right hand. "Don't worry about your precious cousins. I'll take care of them after I deal with you," he said, flexing the hand that held the energy ball.  
  
The girl rolled her head to the side and saw two women not lying far from her. The closest one to her lay on the remains of a mirror that had been standing up, her blonde-brown hair covered in blood from a head wound. The other woman lay just a few feet away from the first, almost completely covered by the table she had been thrown into. The only visible parts of her body were a hand and a mass of thick black hair.  
  
"You can't hurt them," she whispered, and for the first time she tasted the blood in her mouth. "They've done nothing to you."  
  
"No, not yet," the man said, glancing quickly at the two unconscious women. "But you and I both know that as they grow they'll get more powerful. However you're the most powerful of your family, so you'll be the first to die."  
  
It was then she spit the blood that she had been building in her mouth into the man's face. "Wanna bet?"  
  
The man, clearly angered by that simple act of defiance, raised his hand to throw the energy ball at her but as he did she closed her eyes and disappeared into a swirl of orbs. She faintly heard his cry of defeat, but even though victory coursed through her she couldn't help but wonder if she had just signed her cousins' death certificate by leaving them there with him. ~End of Premonition~  
  
The girl sat down heavily on the floor, her breathing coming in short gasps. She had never had a memory-premonition that vivid before. Granted, all the memory-premonitions before this one had been about other people in other places in time. This one had been about her and the day she let her family down. The day her entire world shattered into a thousand pieces.  
  
"I should have known you'd be here."  
  
The girl looked up, and drew in a sharp breath. There in the doorway stood a fairly tall, beautiful woman. Her features were delicate and finely chiseled like an Elves'. Her hair was a dark red and hung down to her waist in soft curls. She had a strand from each side of her temples pulled back and in a small white clip. Her eyes were a vivid green and when the light hit them just right they seemed to dance a thousand different colors. She was the personification of beauty, which was to be expected since she was, after all, the daughter of Aphrodite.  
  
"Yeah, it's also the last place I thought I'd ever come back to."  
  
"Don't be too sure of that," the red head said walking toward the young girl. "A lost soul always goes back to the one place it felt safe."  
  
"Yeah, well, this place stopped being my "safe house" the day grandma died, the girl said, pulling herself up off the floor. "You of all people should know that, Susan. You were there the day my entire family died."  
  
"Yes I was," Susan whispered, sitting down on the old rugged couch. It had once been a place where she had had private talks with her best-friend, one of the few people who truly understood her.Now it was a silent reminder of times long lost, much like the window panes.  
  
"But that still doesn't mean you have to stay away from here. It's where you were born. It's also the place were you manifested your powers and became the witch you are today."  
  
"The witch I am today," the girl mumbled. "Don't you mean the most powerful witch of all time, who can't even save her own family? Yeah, I've become great witch."  
  
"When will you ever learn," Susan whispered, looking into the girl's eyes. "It wasn't your fault that they all died. It was Evil's fault. He's the one who should be carrying around your family's death guilt, not you. You did everything you could that day to stop them from dying."  
  
"I did everything?" the girl cried, her voice rising as she began to lose her temper. "How could I have done everything when I orbed out when my cousins' needed me the most, huh? Where was I when my great-aunts needed me to protect them? Didn't my mom call for help right before she was brutally murdered? And for God sakes, I should have been there when that demon attacked grandma. She was counting on me to be there but I let her down. Why? Because I was too wrapped up in trying to safe the people who could protect themselves. My family didn't die because of a demon, Susan. They died because of me!"  
  
At first she was too shocked to react. Never had she seen the girl express so much emotion since that day. She had bolted it up and threw away the key, though it almost cost San Francisco its entire future.  
  
She hadn't come to argue with her though; she had come to offer an ultimatum. She knew the girl was suffering. She had been hurt the most by the tragic events of the past two years. It was her family that was murdered and not only did she lose them, but she also lost the love of her life to the thing that killed them. Magic had taken everything from her, and now it was time for magic to repay her back ten fold.  
  
"I didn't come to rehash old, painful memories. I too lost friends that day, though I'll admit before anybody you went through my hell that day then I did. I came here instead to give you a chance to correct what went wrong that day." "What do you mean 'to correct what went wrong that day?'"  
  
Susan looked down at her hands and for a split second she almost backed out of her deal with Atticus. She hadn't even been to keen on doing it in the first place, but as she sat there now and saw the pain in the girl's eyes and what it was doing to her inside, she knew there was no turning back.  
  
"What I mean is, if you had the chance to go back in time and change everything, would you?"  
  
At first the girl didn't understand but then it hit her like a ton of bricks. "You mean go back in time?"  
  
Susan nodded her head. "But that's impossible," the girl said, taking a seat next to Susan. "I mean, only Tempus can reset time and he's been gone forever."  
  
"Not Tempus, dear," Susan said. "If that were to happen somebody else would die instead of those that did-most likely you. No, what I'm saying is that you will go back in time and stop all this from happening. Much like Chris did when the Titans took over his old world."  
  
"But how?" the girl asked. "Nobody has that kind of power except."  
  
"An Elder?"  
  
The girl looked into Susan's eyes. "Atticus? He's doing all this? Why?"  
  
Susan shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows? Maybe the old guy finally got a heart the day he came down and saw you crying your eyes out in my arms."  
  
She sat there for a moment, biting her lower lip. Susan almost smiled for that was what her grandmother and father use to do when they were pondering over a great problem. At last she looked at Susan and asked, "What do I have to do?"  
  
Smiling, Susan pulled a tiny vial of red liquid out of her pocket and handed it to the girl. You know the spell Chris used to go back in time. However this potion will enhance the spell and send you to the root of the problem. Understand?"  
  
Shaking her head the girl took the potion. "Who do I tell them I am? I can't very well pop in and tell them my real identity."  
  
"You can use your entire name except your last. Pick one that sounds almost normal, but is actually tied close to the family."  
  
"I know exactly what to use," the girl whispered. She looked at the potion for a brief moment, almost as if contemplating her actions, and then got up and went to the center of the room. She stood there and looked around, almost as if she was trying to soak up the details of the room one final time.  
  
With a last glance at Susan she popped the vial cork, downed the potion, and after the initial shock of the taste, she began to slowly say the spell that would take her back to her family.  
  
Hear these words, hear the rhyme Head the hope within my mind Send me back to where I'll find What I wish in place and time  
  
For a brief second nothing happened and then a swirl of gold and silver light began to form at her feet. Within a few heart beats she was completely gone. Susan sat there, looking at the place the girl had once stood. She was gone to correct what had happened and to change all the pain.  
  
"You're our last chance, Erin. You're our only chance."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` I hope you liked it. Just remember that this is my first fanfic. PLEASE review though. 


	2. Chapter 1: Dropping In

Author's Note: I just wanted to thank those of you who reviewed. I appreciate it a lot.  
  
Disclaimer: I in no way own Charmed or its characters. All rights go to the WB and Constance M. Burge.  
  
~Chapter 1: Dropping In~ He stood in a brightly lit room, the sun that shined through the glass windows warming his face and arms. This had always been his favorite room as a child. It had always held the most warmth, even when a thunderstorm raged its fury outside.  
  
But something was different. He could feel it in the pit of his stomach, like a cold icy hand that kept tugging at his heart. He looked around to see if anything was a miss but everything was as it had been when he had left that morning. The furniture was in the same place.the plants were alive and well..the table from the foyer lay on its side in the doorway..no glass had been broken..  
  
The table. He turned back around and stared at the table. It never came out of the foyer unless a demon had attacked and somebody had been knocked into it. But a demon hadn't attacked the Charmed Ones in over ten years. So why would the table be like that unless..  
  
With a sudden dread that he hadn't felt in years, the man dashed to the entrance of the dining room. The sight before him froze him in his tracks.  
  
Everything was a wreck. Tables and chairs were overturned and some of the chairs even had claw marks on them. Glass from picture frames covered the floor. The hall closet door had been ripped off its hinges and somehow the couch from the sitting room had ended up in the middle of the foyer. The staircase had been blown away and what was left of it lay in splinters around his feet.  
  
But it wasn't until he saw the bloody arm hanging from the staircase landing that his stomach dropped. It wouldn't have been so bad; except that he recognized the wedding ring on the finger.it was his mother's.  
  
He turned the corner and cried out. There she lay, the woman who had always been there for him, the one who had guided him when he thought all was lost, covered in blood and surrounded by broken glass. He ran to her and propped her limp body into his arms. Her hair was matted with blood and glass, and her face has streaks of blood on it.  
  
At first he thought she had fallen and somehow broke her neck, but as he rested his hand on her stomach he felt an all too familiar warm liquid. Pulling up her shirt he discovered not a stab would or cut, but instead a hole. The realization hit him and pulling her lifeless body toward him he cried out in agony. He cried out the only name he knew that could save her still, the one man he couldn't stand but still needed..  
  
"LEO!!"  
  
Chris Perry bolted up, his breathing coming in short gasps. Sweat poured down his face and soaked his shirt. It was a nightmare within a nightmare.the one day he wished he could erase from his memory and yet also the same day he realized the truth about a man he thought he knew. Leo had abandoned him and his mother when they needed him most. When the chips were down and everything lay on the line Leo had choked, leaving Chris' mother there to die a slow painful death while Chris fought of the demons that had still been in the house. Leo the Protector had become Leo the Leaver.  
  
'Enough already,' Chris thought to himself. 'I came back in time to make sure that day never happened.'  
  
But so far his plan hadn't worked. The sisters trusted him about as much as they did Cole after they learned he was half demon and Leo trusted him even less. Not that he blamed them. He did give them good reason to suspect him with all the round-about-ways he had gone to get things done his way. In the end, however, his only intentions had been to protect Wyatt.  
  
'There's no use in crying over spilt milk,' he thought. Running a hand through his hair he got up off the couch and after straightening the couch and his clothes he headed out of the attic.  
  
As he reached the middle of the room he heard a swirling noise. Turning around he saw a blue and white portal in the air and before he could react something, or someone came hurling out of it and crashing into him, sent both of them flying into the stand that held the Book of Shadows.  
  
He became a little disoriented but as he shook the shock of it away he noticed that the portal was gone and everything was as it was.  
  
"Uh."  
  
Looking over his shoulder Chris saw the body of a young girl lying next to him. He didn't know what to do next and didn't even really know if she was alive or dead.  
  
Just as he reached out to feel for a pulse she gave a soft moan and her head rolled over to reveal a small gash and a trickle of blood.  
  
"Oh this can't be good."  
  
~*Cut to Conservatory*~ "All we're saying Piper is that maybe you shouldn't put all your trust into Chris. After all, he is from the future."  
  
"I never said I trusted him completely," Piper Halliwell said. "All I'm saying is that we should give him a chance. He's only trying to protect Wyatt from the future evil that gets to him."  
  
"How do we know that there is a future evil after Wyatt?" "Paige, what do you mean?" Piper asked, looking at her sister confused.  
  
Shrugging her shoulders, Paige said, "All I'm saying is what if Chris is the future evil after you son? Pretending to be the one protecting him would be the perfect cover up."  
  
"If that were true Paige then why doesn't Leo sense evil in him?"  
  
"Maybe there's a potion to get past even a whitelighter's sensing powers," Phoebe commented. "However, Wyatt does bring his shield up whenever Chris gets to close."  
  
"So? Wyatt does it to complete."  
  
RING! RING!  
  
"Ugh! I'll get it," Paige said, getting up and heading toward the phone in the kitchen.  
  
"I hope that's not Jason," Phoebe mused, nibbling at her lower lip. Arching an eyebrow Piper asks, "Why? Did your date go sour last night?"  
  
"You can say that," Phoebe said getting up and going over to Wyatt's playpen. He lay sound asleep, gently sucking on a pacifier. "Everything was great until my empath abilities kicked in over drive. I had this sudden surge of love and lust all rolled into one and I knew it was coming from him. So as the waiter bought us our drinks I just looked him in the eye and said 'I love you, too."  
  
"Wait a minute," Piper said getting out of one of the white wicker chairs. "Are you telling me that you told him that you loved him before he could say he loved you?" At the shake of Phoebe's head Piper mumbled, "That's not good."  
  
Phoebe was about to respond when Paige dashes in from the dining room. She calls out, "Gotta go help Darryl with something. Be back within an hour!"  
  
Piper and Phoebe stand confused for a moment, but then go back to their conversation. "What am I going to do, Piper?"  
  
Seeing that Wyatt was stirring Piper picks him up and begins to gently pat him on the back. "I honestly don't know what to tell you Phoebe. At first you couldn't control your empath powers when you felt his lust for you and now this? The only thing I know to do is."  
  
"Um, a little help here?"  
  
At the sound of Chris' voice Phoebe and Piper turn around and gasp. Standing on the landing was Chris, but in his arms was a young girl who looked to be knocked out by a blow to the head.  
  
"Chris, what did you do to her?" Piper cried.  
  
~*Cut to alley behind P3*~ "The last attack was a few nights ago. A woman by the name of Lizzie stepped outside for a smoke and according to her friends she never came back in. Then, this morning, some homeless guy comes to the station telling this wild tell about a creature clawing the woman to death and then eating her. I managed to get him into a cell but I thought hey, maybe the guy saw something that you three girls would know about."  
  
Stepping around a pile of food, Paige asks, "Why wasn't Piper called? I mean, the attacks did happen behind her club."  
  
Darryl shrugged his shoulders. "We tried but every time we did the phone was either busy or you guys never picked up."  
  
"Well we do fight demons for a living you know," Paige muttered. "But off that subject, do you believe a demon's behind these attacks?"  
  
"Why else would I call you guys? By the way, where's Piper and Phoebe? Don't you guys do this in threes?"  
  
"Piper and Phoebe were otherwise occupied when you called," Paige said. "Besides, how bad of a demon can it be?"  
  
As the words left her mouth a strange creature shimmered in front of her and Darryl. Pushing Darryl aside Paige orbed as the creature threw an energy ball at her. Orbing a few feet behind him she recognized him as a Manticore. Before she can utter a spell though he spins around and sends her flying into a pile of trash bags.  
  
As the Manticore charges at her Paige looks around desperately, and upon seeing power lines overhead, calls for them. Orbs quickly separate them and as it falls it hits the Manticore in the back. It stands there for a few seconds as the electricity surges through its body, and then it bursts into flames.  
  
Paige quickly makes her way back over to Darryl, who is still a little shocked at what he witnessed. "You okay, Darryl? You've seen us vanquish demons hundreds of times over the years."  
  
"I know," Darryl mumbled. "But it always gets weirder and weirder."  
  
Laughing Paige helps him up and is about to orb them out when they hear a soft cry.  
  
"What was that?" Darryl asked, almost nervously.  
  
Shrugging, Paige and him head toward an alcove in the alley, where all they find is a brown blanket rolled up. At first nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but as they went to walk away something moved beneath the blanket. Slowly reaching down Paige pulled the cover away, to reveal a baby. At first her and Darryl were shocked but as Paige went to go pick him up the baby's tongue slurped out, revealing that it was shaped like a pitch fork.  
  
Curling her lip up in disgust, Paige muttered, "Oh boy."  
  
~*Cut to Piper's bedroom*~ "So let me get this straight: you woke up from a nap in the attic, was on your way downstairs when a portal opened and she came flying out?"  
  
"Exactly," Chris said.  
  
"Do you know how much I believe that?" Phoebe questioned, crossing her arms.  
  
"Do you know how much I care?" Chris challenged.  
  
"Alright, both of you!" Piper growled. "This is not exactly the best time to pick an argument with somebody. Chris, I need you to go get a basin of water, a clean washcloth, and the First Aid Kit from the bathroom. The first thing we've got to do is get her cleaned up and see how badly she's hurt."  
  
Throwing an evil look Phoebe's way Chris orbs out, leaving Phoebe just a bit frustrated. 'Smart ass whitelighter,' she thought.  
  
She then made her way to the bed on which the girl lay. The girl couldn't of been no older than 18, about Chris's age. She had shoulder blade length dark brown hair and her features were flawless. She was a beautiful young woman, though her clothes would have told a different story. She wore what looked like a white tank top which had long ago ceased to be white. It and the light blue jean jacket she wore were covered in dust and blood. Her light blue jeans were ripped in several places, almost like she'd been clawed.  
  
"Is she an innocent?"  
  
"I don't know," came Piper's muffled reply. Looking up Phoebe found her sister rummaging through the closet for clothes. "If she is then we'll help her."  
  
Knowing she was walking a very thin line, Phoebe asked, "Are you sure she came here the way Chris said?" Sticking her head out from her closet Piper narrowed her eyes at her younger sister. Getting the hint Phoebe cleared her throat and then mumbled something about going and calling Jason.  
  
"Good idea."  
  
As Phoebe leaves and Piper is in the process of taking the girl's jacket off Chris orbs in. "Need any help? Chris asked. "Actually I do," Piper said. "Do you see any major wounds that need immediate attention? I want to wait until we find out who she is before we bring Leo into this." Nodding his head in understanding Chris begins to look the girl over. After a few minutes he says, "The only real bad wound I see is the one on her right forearm."  
  
"It is bad," Piper mumbled. "Looks almost like a blast wound. Hand me with water and stuff." Chris stands back as he watches Piper clean the wound carefully and as she goes to wrap the wound in a gall Chris offers to help turn the girl over. As he does he notices a strange tattoo above her right shoulder blade.  
  
"Um, Piper? I think you need to see this."  
  
As she ties the knot in the bandage Piper leans over the girl and also sees the tattoo. Just then Phoebe comes storming into the room. "You won't believe what Jason's doing! We're not meeting for dinner or anything to talk about the 'I love you too think.' Oh no, he's flying off to Rome! Can you believe it? I mean, I've heard about guys running far and fast but this is just ridiculous! After all I've went though for him you think he would- is that the Charmed symbol?"  
  
Turning their gazes from Phoebe to the girl, Piper and Chris realize that her tattoo is the Charmed symbol except that it is surrounded by a diagonal ring that is blue and outlined in white like the symbol.  
  
"Weird," Chris muttered.  
  
"I'll go look it up in the Book of Shadows."  
  
"Think it means anything?" Chris asked Piper as Phoebe left the room. Shrugging, Piper helps Chris lay the girl back down and as they do she begins to stir. They wait patiently, and about five minutes after Phoebe leaves the girl slowly opens her eyes.  
  
Her eyes instantly land on Piper and she lets out a scream and quickly scoots into an upright position. Her eyes dart uneasily between Chris and Piper, but it's not fear they see in them: it's almost as if she's seeing ghosts.  
  
"It's okay, we're not going to hurt you," Piper said softly. Tentatively she touched the girl's arm. Seeing that the girl didn't shy away from her Piper continues. "I'm a good witch and my friend here is a whitelighter. He's an angel who protects witches like me."  
  
The girl starts to say something but then, almost as if remembering something else, shuts her mouth. Then, with a look of complete faith in her eyes she softy whispered, "I know who you are. You're Piper Halliwell Wyatt of the Charmed Ones."  
  
Looking at Piper out of the corner of his eye, Chris sees she's just as confused as he is. Looking back at the girl he asks, "How do you know that?"  
  
Turning her eyes so that she's looking into his she softly smiles, and almost with a laugh she says, "Because I'm from the future."  
  
~Review, PLEASE! ~ 


	3. Chapter 2: Demons in the Playpen

Author's Note: I just wanted to thank those who have replied.: Piper+leo4eva—as I said before, it's scary how you and I think a like Magical Princess—thank you for your kind words Taynna—thank you for the information on the triquetra. StephieM—thank you Goldstranger—yes, another cliffhanger. I have a habit of doing those.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed or any of its characters. All right belong to the WB and Constance M. Burge.  
  
~*Chapter 2: Demons in the Playpen*~ "Wait a minute. Are you telling me that girl is from the future? Like Chris?" At Piper's nod Phoebe let her head fall into her hands. "When will this end?"  
  
"Apparently not soon enough," Piper mumbled. She crossed her arms in a vain attempt to ward off the chill from the attic. It had only been about ten minutes since she had talked to the girl from the future, and Piper was still unnerved at the thought of somebody else having to come back. What was so bad in the future that two people had to come back to set it right? What kind of evil could corrupt her son so bad that he created a world full of violence and corruption?  
  
"You okay, Piper?" Shaking herself from her thoughts, Piper looked up too see Phoebe staring at her. "Yeah, I'm fine. My mind just kinda wondered there for a second."  
  
"I know what you mean," Phoebe muttered. "First Chris is sent back to stop a demon from turning Wyatt evil, and now this girl comes back. Do we even know why she's here?"  
  
"I left Chris in charge of finding that out."  
  
"Great," Phoebe muttered under her breath. "Phoebe..."  
  
"I know, I know. Lay off the guy. I just can't help feeling like he's hiding so much from us, and that in the end it could hurt us." Piper, who was now sitting on the couch, shook her head. "I can understand where you're coming from Phoebe but he can't tell us everything or he risks changing the future too much."  
  
Slumping against the Book of Shadows Phoebe mumbled, "I know this. All I'm asking him to do is tell us who he is. Is that to much to—"  
  
"Phoebe? Piper? Are you guys home?"  
  
"We'll be down in a minute, Paige!" Piper yelled. She looked back to Phoebe who was once again flipping through the Book. "Well, let's go tell our darling sister that we have yet another future house guest."  
  
"Paige is not going to like this," Phoebe said as her and Piper made their way out of the attic.  
  
*Cut to conservatory* "I can't believe you vanquished the little guy's mother," Darryl muttered has him and Paige entered the conservatory. Looking at Darryl in horror, Paige hissed back, "You where the one who wanted me to vanquish the demon! What was I suppose to do, show pity because it was a mother?"  
  
"Oh yeah, blame the cop."  
  
Shaking her head in frustration Paige went over to the playpen and upon seeing Wyatt in it cursed under her breath. "Now where am I going to put him until..."  
  
"Paige, where are you?"  
  
"Um, in the conservatory!" She quickly motioned for Darryl to hand her the baby. As he did she whispered, "You go on a head and get out of here. I'll take care of Phoebe and Piper." Nodding his head, Darryl quickly left.  
  
She was about to orb Wyatt's spare playpen down from the attic when she heard Phoebe and Piper's footsteps on the stairs. 'Not enough time!' she thought to herself, frantically searching for a place to put the baby demon. As a last ditch effort Paige turned around and placed the baby on the opposite side of Wyatt's playpen.  
  
"Paige, sweetie, what are you doing?"  
  
Spinning around Paige saw both her sister's standing in the conservatory doorway, a look of confusion on their faces. "Nothing," Paige said innocently.  
  
"Yeah," Piper said sarcastically as she made her way towards her son's playpen. "When have you ever—what in the hell is that?" Turning around Piper saw that Paige had orbed a safe distance away from her and now stood behind Phoebe. "Paige, what is that in my son's playpen?"  
  
"Um, a baby." Piper looked over her shoulder at the bundle and as she did it flicked its tongue out, revealing the pitch fork end. Piper's eyes went wide.  
  
"That's not just any baby, Paige! It's a demon baby!"  
  
"A demon baby?" Phoebe asked, bewildered. She crossed the room and looked into her nephew's playpen and saw the baby, who once again flicked its tongue. Spinning around, eyes wide, Phoebe hissed, "You put a demon baby in our nephew's pen? What were you thinking?!"  
  
"I wasn't" Paige mumbled, wringing her hands together. "I just kinda freaked, okay? I've screwed up so many times in the past that I figured you two would just assume the worst! And it really wasn't my fault."  
  
Piper raised an eyebrow. "Paige, storks just don't drop babies who have pitch fork tongues into houses."  
  
"I know! What I'm trying to say is that Darryl called and asked me if I could come vanquish a demon that had been terrorizing people behind P3. So I did, only after vanquishing it, we learned that it was a mother."  
  
"So instead of letting Darryl take care of it you thought it would be best to bring the demon child back to our house?"  
  
"No," Paige said in frustration. "What were we suppose to do, take it child's services?"  
  
Phoebe chuckled at Paige's last comment, but one stern look from Piper quickly shut her up. "I'm not accusing you of anything Paige," Piper said. "I just wished you had thought of a plan before bringing this child into our home where my toddler is."  
  
"I understand that," Paige said. "Good," Piper mumbled. Taking a deep breath she rubbed her temples. "Besides, we have an even bigger issue upstairs."  
  
"What do you mean a bigger issue?"  
  
"As in we have a visitor upstairs," Phoebe explained. "The thing is, she's not from around here, if you get my drift." At first Paige didn't understand, but as she looked at her two sisters more and more, it finally dawned on her. "You don't mean..."  
  
"Oh yeah," Piper said. "She's from the future."  
  
Paige made one of her faces and Phoebe shook her head in agreement with her little sister. "Well if that's true then we have to—"  
  
Just then a huge creature shimmered in behind Piper, grabbed her, and shimmered back out. "What the hell?" Phoebe cried, looking at the spot her sister had just occupied not even two seconds ago. Turning back to Paige she asked, "What was that?"  
  
"I don't know," Paige said. "It defiantly wasn't a Manticore." At the confused look her sister gave her Paige sighed. "That's the demon I vanquished. It was a Manticore."  
  
Phoebe held her sister's gaze a second longer and then, looking heavenward, cried, "Chris!" A beat later Chris orbed in and was quickly followed by another form or orbs, which materialized as the young girl from the future. "What are you doing down here?" Phoebe asked as the young girl looked around the manor. For a split second Phoebe got a vibe of loneliness from her, but it disappeared just as quickly as it had come. Phoebe looked at the girl, and when the girl smiled Phoebe knew that the girl knew she was an Empath.  
  
"I'm here to change my future."  
  
"Where have I heard that before?" Paige asked almost sarcastically. Chris threw her an evil look. The girl turned her attention from Phoebe to Paige, and with a note of sarcasm in her own voice, the girl said, "Trust me Paige, you want me to change the future. In mine none of the Charmed Ones survive evil's ultimate attack, and they're not the only ones who die..."  
  
"We don't have time for this!" Phoebe cried, silencing both Paige and the girl. Taking a deep breath and running a hand through her short hair, Phoebe looked back to Chris. "We have a problem. Piper's missing."  
  
"What?!" he cried. "How?"  
  
"We don't know!" Phoebe said, throwing her hands in the air. "One minute we're talking about the demon baby Paige bought home and the next min—"  
  
"Excuse me, did you just say baby demon?" Phoebe let her head fall towards Wyatt's playpen. Chris took a couple of steps forward and looking down, saw the baby demon. Turning to Paige he said, "What is that?"  
  
"A Manticore's baby," Paige mumbled. "Great," Chris mumbled. "A demon is in the playpen with Wyatt and Piper's missing. Let me guess, you don't now what took her?"  
  
"We thought it was a Manticore at first," Paige said. "But it really didn't look like one."  
  
"Well we can't just stand around here argue about it all day," Phoebe sighed. "Chris, you go find Leo and bring him back to the manor as fast as you can. Paige, I want you to go see if you can scrye for Piper. Hopefully what ever took her doesn't have a magical force field. You," she pointed at the young girl. "Bring that baby up to the attic with you. I'll work on a vanquishing potion while you try to find out what shimmered Piper out of here."  
  
With that Chris orbed out, Paige headed toward the kitchen, and after picking the baby up, the girl and Phoebe headed toward the attic. As all became quiet in the conservatory a blue and white portal appeared next to Wyatt's playpen. Out of it stepped a beautiful red headed woman wearing a dark green cape trimmed with black lace. She looked around, and upon seeing the playpen she made her way to it. Looking down she saw Wyatt staring up at her, but instead of activating his force field, he just simply giggled.  
  
Smiling the woman whispered, "At least not everything has changed." With those words she blew Wyatt a kiss and orbed out...but in fire. 


	4. Chapter 3: Manticore or Not?

Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed or its characters. All rights go the WB and Constance M. Burge.  
  
~*Chapter 3: Manticore or Not?*~  
  
She slowly opened her eyes, her head still spinning. She hadn't expected to be kidnapped like that, let alone in broad daylight in front of her sisters. She had to give it to the demon, he had balls. Only now he had to die.  
  
Piper started to get up, but she soon realized that her hands where tied behind her back. Upon further inspection she learned that she was tied to a beam, which supported the roof of the house she was in. "Dammit!" Piper cursed under her breath. She had no idea who had taken her and where she was. She was as lost as—  
  
Creak! Creak!  
  
Piper's ears perked up. She waited a few seconds, and the sound began again. It was the sound of something heavy stepping on a hardwood floor, and as it did the floor creaked with its weight. "Who's there?" she said, her eyes darting about the tiny room she was in. She couldn't see much due to the amounts of overturned furniture and the dim light that came in from the street. Out of the corner of her eye, however, she saw something move. Something overly large....  
  
"Who are you and what do you want?" No answer. "Fine with me," Piper said, relaxing against the beam. "It won't be long before my sisters come looking for me, and they show no pity towards demons like you."  
  
"Do you think your threats of death scare me?"  
  
"Oh, speak of the demon," Piper said, tilting her head up a bit. She had seen the creature move behind a couch that was standing upright. "No, not really. Not just any demon would come and snatch a Charmed One. You must be pretty good at this stuff, or you just got lucky."  
  
"Stop talking and tell me where the child is?"  
  
"Why should I?" Piper challenged. "So you can raise him to be a twisted demon like yourself? No way bud. I save the innocent, demonic baby or not."  
  
"He is no demon!" the creature yelled from his hiding place. "And neither am I!"  
  
"Yeah, and I believe that as much as I believe that my sister is coming back to life. Try something with some originality to it, bud." While Piper said this she had begun to slowly loosen her hands from the rope, and had them in position to blow the rope away when she was ready. "Why don't you show me yourself then, huh? Prove to me that you're not a demon and I just might help you."  
  
"You'd cower away at the sight of me," the demon growled. "I've probably seen worse," Piper said. "Or are you chicken to prove to the most powerful witch that you're not a demon?" As Piper said this the creature moved from behind the couch and walked into the small light the window allowed. The sight before her almost made Piper gage. He was an ugly creature, with stretch leathery skin and a deformed head. His entire body deformed, and the hump on his back didn't help much.  
  
"What are you?" she whispered. "That is none of your concern," the creature said. "Now, tell me where the baby is, now!"  
  
"How about not!" Piper cried as she blew the ropes that held her away. Before she could bring her hands in front of her, however, the creature shimmered away. Cursing under her breath Piper got up and upon seeing that the demon was no where in sight, went in search of it.  
  
*Cut to the Golden Gate Bridge*  
  
He figured he'd find him here. It was, after all, the quietest place in the city. As a child he had always come to this place to get away from his big brother and the hazel of magic. But it never fully left him....  
  
Chris orbed to the highest tower of the Golden Gate Bridge, right next to Leo. He was about to say something when Leo, who's eyes where closed, held out his hand. "Don't say a word, Chris. I'm communing with the others."  
  
"Nice time to be communing," Chris mumbled. "You're ex wife is missing and you son's in danger..." Leo's eyes flew open. "Missing? Danger? What do you mean, Chris?"  
  
Shoving his hands into his pockets, Chris said, "Apparently Paige vanquished a Manticore who was a mother, bought the baby home, and then Piper was kidnapped by something other than a Manticore."  
  
"Oh no," Leo mumbled. "Yeah," Chris said. "By the way, what's the Elder's policy on vanquishing baby demons?" Leo gave Chris a confused look. "I don't know. Why?"  
  
Chris shrugged. "No reason. Except there's one playing with Wyatt in his playpen."  
  
*Cut to the attic in the manor*  
  
"Have you found anything in the Book about what kidnapped Piper?" Phoebe asked as she added a dark blue liquid to the potion pot.  
  
"Not really," the girl mumbled, flipping through the Book with one hand while she used the other one to shush the baby, who wanted to cry. "I don't have much of a description to go by, anyway. Maybe the things not even a demon."  
  
"Trust me, this thing had to be a demon," Phoebe said, sprinkling sand into the potion. "He was ugly enough to be, anyway."  
  
The girl shut the Book in frustration. "So all we've learned is that this baby is half Manticore, half human, and that if it cries a whole slew of them are gonna come after him." Shaking her head she said, "Just great. I haven't been in the past more than an hour and already I'm learning I can't help."  
  
Phoebe gave the girl a skeptical look. "Speaking of the future, what time period do you come from? Chris is only about 20 years or so into it, but you seem...older." The girl smiled. "That's because I am. I come from about 40 years into the future."  
  
The girl saw the look on Phoebe's face and she laughed. "I'm not that old, Phoebe. I'm only 18. The year I come from is 2043." "Jesus," Phoebe mumbled as she stirred the potion. "Why come back so far?"  
  
The girl shrugged. "Apparently this is where the root of the future's problems lay." "You mean Wyatt?" Phoebe asked, almost hesitantly. The girl saw the look, and gently shook her head. "No, I'm actually not here to stop Wyatt. In the future I come from he doesn't turn evil. But something else is resurrected in this time, a being of the Charmed One's past, but of my future."  
  
"You mean something we've already vanquished?" The girl shook her head. "But what?"  
  
"Phoebe, you know I'm not allowed to reveal everything. Just what I think you should know. But I know your next question, and all I can say is that yes I know Chris in my future, but I know him a different way then you do." The surprise clearly showed on Phoebe's face. "How...how did you know what I was thinking?"  
  
Turning around the girl picked up the Manticore baby and began rocking it in her arms. "Because I'm a telepath. I can read people's minds."  
  
"You can also orb, which means your part whitelighter."  
  
Both Phoebe and the girl looked up to see Paige come into the attic, the scrying crystal in her hand. "Very good Paige," the girl said. "I am part whitelighter, but not as much as you. Like you I can not heal or orb 'Up There'."  
  
"Well, now that we know what you are, or about what you are, how about you tell us your name?" Paige asked, walking over to the table in the attic where Phoebe was putting the vanquishing potion into vials. The girl hesitated for a split second, and then, looking directly at Phoebe, she said, "My name is Ewryna Prudence Turner." As a reflex Phoebe's head shot up at the mention of Turner, which had been her late ex-husband's last name.  
  
"And no, Phoebe, I am not related to Cole Turner. Far from it, actually." Phoebe shook her head, but Paige was still confused. "Ewryna? What kind of name is that?"  
  
"It's an ancient name in my mother's family. It means 'she who is blessed and destined.' But everybody calls me Erin for short."  
  
Phoebe was about to ask another question when she saw Leo and Chris orb in. "Where is she? Have we found her? Do we know what kind of danger she's in? And what's this about a demon baby playing in my son's playpen?"  
  
Phoebe had to laugh. "Okay, Leo. Calm down. Let's not get too excited about all this. To answer your questions we have no idea where she is, no we have not found, no we do not know how much danger she's in, and as for the demon baby thing, you can ask your other sister-in-law." Paige smiled sheepishly as Leo turned his gaze to hers. "There's not much to explain really. I just didn't know where to put the guy."  
  
"So you decide to put it in my son's playpen? Great, no wonder Piper...." Leo trailed off as he saw Erin standing a few feet away from Phoebe, a baby in her arms. "Who is she?"  
  
"She's our newest future person," Chris said. "She literally fell on me when she came hurling through a portal."  
  
"I do apologize for that," Erin said. "You don't have much control over your body when it's being jerked around time. I was actually aiming for the sitting room, not the attic. By the way, my name is Erin Turner, and I'd prefer if you called me that instead of 'our newest future person.'" Chris raised an eyebrow, and Erin's heart skipped a beat. It was such a simple gesture, but it was one she had seen him make a thousand times in the future...  
  
"So are you here to save Wyatt also?" Leo asked. "Actually, no she's not," Phoebe chimed in before Erin could. "She's here to stop an evil that we've already vanquished but apparently it gets resurrected in her time, which is 40 years from now."  
  
"I see," Leo mumbled.  
  
"Okay, back to the issue at hand," Paige said. "I located Piper but from what I know about Manticore's, they won't just hand over prey easily."  
  
"But that wasn't a Manticore," Erin said, bouncing the baby. "Phoebe said it looked almost deformed. A Manticore isn't that hard to spot." Phoebe shook her head. "She's right."  
  
"So what's the plan?" Chris asked. "The plan," Phoebe said while turning the vanquishing potion over in her hand, "is to go find us some Manticore's, have them take us to where we know Piper is, let them take care of the deformed creature, grab Piper, and bring her home."  
  
"Sounds good to me," Paige mumbled and grabbing Phoebe's hand, she orbed them both out.  
  
*Cut to the Beast's house*  
  
Piper stood at the front doorway, blasting away. But no matter how much she blasted a blue electric field would come up for a split second. After an hour she finally gave up and slumped into a chair that hadn't been turned over. She had tried everything. She had called for both Leo and Chris, blasted every inch of the house, and had even done the normal thing and try opening windows and doors. Nothing worked.  
  
"Are you having fun?"  
  
Piper jumped at the sound of the voice and quickly spun around to find herself face to face with the Beast. He didn't look as bad as he had earlier, but he hadn't gotten any better. "Who are you?" she asked, raising her hands. The Beast laughed.  
  
"I know who you are, Charmed One. But I assure you it is not you or your sisters that I am after. I am after the baby that you took from me."  
  
"Why should I?" Piper said, gritting her teeth. "So you can raise him in a sick and twister—"  
  
"He's my son!"  
  
The force of the Beast's voice sent Piper tumbling over the chair she had been sitting in and onto the floor. She sat there stunned, the Beast's words echoing in her mind. He stood over her for a split second before reaching down and offering his hand. Piper took it and the Beast helped her up and back into the chair.  
  
"What do you mean he's your son?" Piper asked, her eyes never leaving the Beast. "He looks human, except for that pitch-fork tongue."  
  
The beast walked over to a window and stood for a second. Piper waited for what she knew would come. "He's a half-breed," the Beast began, his back turned to Piper. "His mother was a Manticore, I a human. They choose their male mates carefully. They do this so that their offspring can walk among humans but still have the Manticore's powers. All mates are killed after conception but somehow I got away, and I've spent the last year looking for my son."  
  
Piper played with the ring on her finger as she let all he had said sink in. So the baby was half Manticore? And this was no demon or beast that had kidnapped her to lure her sister's here. He was just a father looking for his son. "If you where human once, how did you become...what you are today?"  
  
The Beast turned around. "Potions. I just started taking them until one day I woke up and found myself like this. I figured I could fine my son quicker if I looked somewhat like a demon." Piper nodded her head. "It's very convincing."  
  
The Beast started to say something when two Manticores shimmered in on either side of him. "What do you think you're doing?" Piper said, hands posed to blast. Before she could, Paige and Phoebe orbed in and grabbing Piper's hand, Paige called out, "Time to come home."  
  
*Cut to sitting room*  
  
"Peek-a-boo, I see you!" The baby demon giggled as Erin uncovered her face. Covering them back up the baby demon shimmered out, and as Erin uncovered her face the baby shimmered in.  
  
"See, this is fun," Erin said. "Now if I can only—"  
  
"Give us the child."  
  
Erin looked up to three Manticores standing in front of her, and for a split second her heart froze. "You know we will do you know harm," the front one said, extending its arms for the baby. Erin stood up, the baby on her left hip. "How do you know who I am?"  
  
The second Manticore smiled at her. "Your birth has been foretold for centuries, even before the twice blessed child was mentioned." Erin nodded her head. "All your after is this child, not the Charmed Ones'?" The front Manticore looked over his shoulder to see Wyatt poking his head over his playpen, gleefully trying to figure out what was going on around him.  
  
"There is a law that states no demon can go after that child."  
  
Bringing up her hand blue and white orbs shot out and over Wyatt's playpen, forming an electric barrier much like a circle of crystals would while imprisoning a demon. All three Manticores looked at her, and shrugging she said, "Just in case."  
  
The Manticores stepped forward and Erin handed them the baby demon. Stepping back they disappeared, leaving Erin and Wyatt alone in the conservatory. Just then Erin heard the familiar sound of orb swirling and looking into the foyer she saw the outlined of Piper, Phoebe, and Paige orbing in. As they materialized in Piper urgently said, "No! No! We've got to go back. Orb us back!"  
  
Giving her sister a crazed look, Paige orbed them back.  
  
*Cut to the Beast's house*  
  
Phoebe, Piper, and Paige orbed in where they had stood no more than 10 seconds ago, and looking around they could already see the damage the other Manticores had done. Burnt places in the walls could be seen and some of the furniture was starting to catch fire.  
  
"What are we doing back here anyway?" Paige asked, trying not to bump into anything.  
  
"Because the thing that took me is the baby's father and he's actually a human, not a Manticore."  
  
"Great, just great," Phoebe muttered rubbing her hand over her face. "What else can go wrong?"  
  
"Paige, Phoebe, in here! Quick!"  
  
Looking at each other they quickly made their way into an adjoining room from where they had orbed in to find Piper kneeling over the Beast. "He's barely breathing," Piper said, trying to feel for a pulse. Looking up at her sisters she said, "We've got to get him back to the manor so Leo can heal him, NOW!" 


	5. Author's Note

Author's Note: I know I haven't updated in over a month of two, but with school and everything I just haven't had time to write. I also just got a job that works me from 5 to 10 everyday so I don't have much time to write. I do plan on getting the next chapter posted before the end of Spring Break. Because of all this, I'm going to start putting 'In the Next Chapter' at the end of every chapter. Once again I want to tahnk those of you who have reviewed in the past and who I hope will keep reviewing once I get more of the story written.  
  
~In the Next Chapter~  
  
Yet another being comes from the future.  
  
Erin knows a secret that could rock the Charmed One's lives!  
  
Erin reveals more of her powers.  
  
Will a Charmed One die? 


End file.
